Cancer survivors serve as living proof that early diagnosis is key to cure disease
Chennai: 29.04.2018
After being diagnosed with oral cancer during avisitto a dentistin 2011,Azhagu Ramasamy spent sleepless nights watching her children sleep and lamenting if she would survive to see them grow.Thefear was palpable, as the 47-year-old had witnessed thedeathof her mother after a three-year fight with the disease. But what she realised muchlater wasthatearly diagnosis gaveher a secondchance atlife.
She stood at the Outsmart Cancer event on Saturday to recall her tale of survival. “I was diagnosed when the wound, after removing my wisdom tooth, didn’t heal. I feared initially, but it was my teenageson’swordsthatdrove me to face my problem with a positive attitude,”she recounted.
The Outsmart Cancer is a joint initiative of the Times of India and the Apollo Cancer Center, which emphasises on detection and diagnosis of malignancy at an early stage. “80% of the patients come to doctors at an advanced stage and 70% of them die in the first year after diagnosis. When detected early, 80% of cancer is curable,” said Dr T Raja, senior consultant, medicaloncology,ApolloHospitals.
Doctors explained that detection of malignancy is possible by following a few simple steps of self-examination, with specialists adding that the top five cancers, including that of the breast, cervix and lung, affecting people in India arescreenable.Whileopportunistic screening has been the way so far when it comes to cancer diagnosis, oncologists pondered if coming up with programmes for mass screening is the way forward to deal withtheissue.
“Mass screening may not be required, as it is cost and labour intensive. The need of the hour is a robust policy for non-communicable diseases, including prevention and early diagnosis,” said Dr Rakesh Jalali, director of south east asia’s first Proton TherapyCentre,ApolloHospital.
In order to makecancer diagnosis more affordable,Apollo Hospitals announced the opening of a proton center in Chennai. Harshad Reddy, director, Apollo Hospitals, who spoke on the efforts taken by the hospital said, “Chennai would soon have a proton cancer centre that would benefit millionswho are nowforcedto gototheWestfor treatment.”
OUTSMARTING EVIL: Dr Harshad Reddy, director, Apollo Hospitals presents the momento to cancer survivor Azhagu Ramasamy. Preetha Reddy, vice-chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and Dr T Raja during ‘Outsmart Cancer’ by The Times of India on Saturday
Chennai: 29.04.2018
After being diagnosed with oral cancer during avisitto a dentistin 2011,Azhagu Ramasamy spent sleepless nights watching her children sleep and lamenting if she would survive to see them grow.Thefear was palpable, as the 47-year-old had witnessed thedeathof her mother after a three-year fight with the disease. But what she realised muchlater wasthatearly diagnosis gaveher a secondchance atlife.
She stood at the Outsmart Cancer event on Saturday to recall her tale of survival. “I was diagnosed when the wound, after removing my wisdom tooth, didn’t heal. I feared initially, but it was my teenageson’swordsthatdrove me to face my problem with a positive attitude,”she recounted.
The Outsmart Cancer is a joint initiative of the Times of India and the Apollo Cancer Center, which emphasises on detection and diagnosis of malignancy at an early stage. “80% of the patients come to doctors at an advanced stage and 70% of them die in the first year after diagnosis. When detected early, 80% of cancer is curable,” said Dr T Raja, senior consultant, medicaloncology,ApolloHospitals.
Doctors explained that detection of malignancy is possible by following a few simple steps of self-examination, with specialists adding that the top five cancers, including that of the breast, cervix and lung, affecting people in India arescreenable.Whileopportunistic screening has been the way so far when it comes to cancer diagnosis, oncologists pondered if coming up with programmes for mass screening is the way forward to deal withtheissue.
“Mass screening may not be required, as it is cost and labour intensive. The need of the hour is a robust policy for non-communicable diseases, including prevention and early diagnosis,” said Dr Rakesh Jalali, director of south east asia’s first Proton TherapyCentre,ApolloHospital.
In order to makecancer diagnosis more affordable,Apollo Hospitals announced the opening of a proton center in Chennai. Harshad Reddy, director, Apollo Hospitals, who spoke on the efforts taken by the hospital said, “Chennai would soon have a proton cancer centre that would benefit millionswho are nowforcedto gototheWestfor treatment.”
OUTSMARTING EVIL: Dr Harshad Reddy, director, Apollo Hospitals presents the momento to cancer survivor Azhagu Ramasamy. Preetha Reddy, vice-chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and Dr T Raja during ‘Outsmart Cancer’ by The Times of India on Saturday
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